Stomach Growling? Austin Food Bloggers Alliance Has a Forever Fix

Decide where to go for brunch in Austin from the members of Austin Food Bloggers Alliance (Credit: Antoine Le via Flickr CC)

It’s 4:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, the Texas sun is at your back and your stomach is leading the way. Happy hour! Those parched taste buds scream through the end of your work week fog.

Now it’s Sunday morning and your phone is blowing up. Brunch! Friends want to take a last sip of the weekend before returning to work and I-35 traffic.

But do you want a Mexican Martini for happy hour? An endless taco bar for brunch? Maybe wine and tapas are more your scene. Or there’s that new paleo place down the road you’ve been meaning to try.

We’ve all found ourselves in a similar predicament: caught in the battle of deciding what to eat and where to go. Do you stick to a favorite or explore something new? In a foodie haven like Austin, can there be too much of a good thing?

Navigating Austin’s many offerings, from BBQ lines to obscure markets can be intimidating. Heck, sometimes navigating Whole Foods can be an adventure in itself. But all your really need is a spirit guide or, in the case of Austin Food Bloggers Alliance, over 100 knowledgable foodie guides and counting!

Austin Food Bloggers Alliance: Foodie Spirit Guides at Your Service

Over almost six years, Austin Food Bloggers Alliance (AFBA) has become an institution in Austin. What started as a potluck gathering of fellow food aficionados has grown into a huge culinary community.

President and creator of food and pop culture blog Mad Betty Kristin Sheppard, explained that AFBA was created to make a space for writers, eaters, photographers and cooks who have a passion for food to come together and share their good taste with the world.

These bloggers have done all the work for us. People who have a penchant for eating, but maybe not a thirst for the hunt, need only click to the AFBA website to find a veritable treasure map awaiting.

Each blogger can help you satisfy a different craving. If you’re stuck at the office and can’t actually explore a restaurant or new recipe, let your eyes do the eating. Food porn pictures abound here. If you weren’t a foodie before, then a journey through the blogs of AFBA will turn you into one!

The City Guide: Roundup for every flavor

Our favorite quesos in Austin are featured in the most recent AFBA City Guide (Credit: Valerie Hinojosa via Flickr CC)

Possibly the best thing about AFBA is their yearly City Guide. Bloggers choose food and restaurant categories and create roundup articles for each one. From the best ramen to the best pizza in Austin, there’s a list for you. The guide comes out every year right before SXSW. Just in time for visitors and Austinites alike to take a new bite out of the city. (Our queso list was included in last year’s City Guide.)

All the heavy lifting has been done for you. All you have to do is pick a place off each list and let your belt out a notch. These guides are also an excellent way to learn about new bloggers you might not have stumbled across yet.

If you like food in Austin and have an Instagram account, then you’ve probably seen the whimsical and mouthwatering musings of Jane Ko from her blog, A Taste of Koko. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve read some of our foodie reviews too. That’s right, The Austinot is also a member of Austin Food Bloggers Alliance. But I’ve only mentioned two fish in a sea of incredible blogs to explore. The rest you’ll have to discover on your own.

Say Thanks and Bon Appetit

Sheppard says the best way to show support for all the incredible work the bloggers of AFBA do is to explore, share, comment and enjoy. Let the bloggers know you tried a restaurant they suggested. Like their photos! You can even find a cookbook of the bloggers’ favorite recipes at BookPeople.

If you want a more literal taste, look out for the AFBA Colossal Curry Cook-off. The alliance created this event to raise money in support of the work their bloggers do. The first cook-off brought chefs and home cooks out of the woodwork and had people lining up around the block. Curry game on fire! Keep an eye out for the next one.

To check out all of the amazing bloggers who keep tabs on everything tasty and tantalizing in our city, go to the Austin Food Bloggers Association website. Keep eating, Austin!

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